Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

I purchased T.Harv Eker's book, "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" years ago.

I've read it, and have periodically re-read it, several times, but I haven't always applied the principles, because, like many of you, I kept giving excuses and still wanted to blame other things for my lack of financial success.

These repeated patterns of behavior have become my money blueprint. Until I change my blueprint, I'm pretty much doomed to continue repeating the same patterns over and over. I intend to change my money blueprint and thought perhaps I'd provide you with the same opportunity.

Below is my review of the seventeen wealth files, or money principles, found in T.Harv Eker's book. I've also included a 6-part video of one of T.Harv Eker's seminars that will further explain his secrets. I found them to be logical concepts that can help anyone improve their financial status.

If as you read this you find yourself still offering excuses, then you haven't yet understood the power you hold in creating the life you want. This also means you're not ready to begin to apply the principles. You'll know when you're ready when you stop offering excuses, accept that you are the creator of your success, and begin to get excited about the possibilities this knowledge then provides you. You'll be eager to try the concepts and will be anxious to see the results.

Let's get started, shall we?

Wealth File #1

It is important to realize that you arenot a victim and it's time you stop playing the role of a victim. The economy, the stock market, the government, your spouse, your parents are not to blame for your financial success. It's time you realize that you are in control of your financial future.

Complaining is the absolute worst thing you can do. Complaining only insures you'll have much more to complain about. T.Harv Eker challenges his audience to quit complaining (even in thought) for a full seven days. He claims that this one exercise alone transforms many people.

What could it hurt to try it? Wonder if you can even go a day without complaining? Remember, even if you never said the complaint out loud, you still thought it. See if you get to where you don't even think of complaining anymore.

Wealth File #2

Rich people play the money game to win. Poor people play the money game to NOT lose.

Any game played entirely defensively will not result in a win. Playing in survival mode will simply only give you a chance at survival. If you want to achieve more, you have to be willing to play to win.

T.Harv Eker says that: "If your goal is to be comfortable, chances are you'll never get rich. But if your goal is to be rich, chances are you'll end up mighty comfortable."

Do you want to be rich or comfortable?

Wealth File #3

Rich people are committed to being rich. Poor people want to be rich.

One of the key reasons most people don't get what they want is that they don't know what they want. They may think they do. I have found that most people hum along waiting on life to happen to them. Then they'll decide if they like it or not. They simply react to whatever is dealt them. Rich people don't do that. They are committed to being rich and are determined to do so. Failure is not an option for them. They affirm that is what they are after and watch for opportunities to present themselves. When you have that determined mindset, the world will beat your door down to help you. When you sit and complain you'll miss opportunities.

Wealth File #4

Rich people think big. Poor people think small.

T.Harv Eker believes there are several reasons that people think small. They are: fear of failure, fear of success, because they feel small or unworthy, or they don't feel they are good enough or important enough. I would tend to agree.

If you don't believe in yourself and your worth, why would you expect anyone else to? You should be your biggest fan. You should believe in yourself even if no one else appears to. You are all you need to turn your life around. You don't need the help of anyone else. You are smart enough and strong enough to do whatever it is you'll need to do to have all you want to have. You just need to believe that before you can move forward with "how".

Try it. What could it hurt to believe in yourself?

Wealth File #5

Rich people focus on opportunities. Poor people focus on obstacles.

I'm sure you're familiar with the age-old question about whether the glass is half full or half empty. Your perspective of the world affects your decisions. If you are always looking to find the angle, or expecting to be taken advantage of, or always looking for things to be wrong, you're going to have a tough time seeing opportunity when it crosses your path because it won't look like anything you're looking for.

If, on the other hand, you usually assume the best in situations, and look for ways something will work out ok, or how others want to help you, you'll see opportunities when they arise and be able to quickly act on them.

I'm not going to tell you that every opportunity will make you rich, but every opportunity that you feel compelled or led to act upon will help you in some way. Maybe you'll learn something from the experience further down the line. Learn to trust that everything you experience is necessary in your growth along the path to your success.

Wealth File #6

Rich people admire other rich and successful people. Poor people resent rich and successful people.

When you see a person that you perceive to be wealthy do you look at them with admiration or scorn? Do your thoughts immediately turn to wishing you could talk to them to find out how they did it, or do your think about who they must of screwed to get their wealth?

If you see wealthy people as evil, manipulative, ruthless, dishonest, sinful, or any other negative word, then I can promise you that wealth is not something you're going to attain, or if you are lucky enough to hit the lottery, you'll never be able to keep it. Why? Because you have already wired your brain to think poorly of someone with money and you're not going to like yourself if you do it.

If you're serious about becoming wealthy, it's time you take a good hard look at how you think of other people. Learn all you can about those who have the type of money and lifestyle you desire. If you want to be rich you need to admire the rich.

Wealth File #7

Rich people associate with positive, successful people. Poor people associate with negative or unsuccessful people.

It just stands to reason that if you associate with positive people, you're going to feel more positive. If you associate with negative people, you're going to feel more negative. But, what do you do, if the negative people in your life are your spouse, kids, or family?

One way is to becoming the annoyingly happy person they won't want to be around. You don't have to run from them, they will run from you. As you concentrate on your own happiness, you'll be less bothered by others and they won't find you very interesting to be around if you're not joining them in their latest pity party.

Find excuses to put yourself around more successful people. Go where they go, do what they do, and soon you'll become one of them.

Wealth File #8

Rich people are willing to promote themselves and their value. Poor people think negatively about selling and promotion.

I think T.Harv Eker provides a really good example of how we readily accepting packaging and promotion when we talk about women wearing makeup or men dressing up in suits. We somehow see that aceptable behavior, or putting one's best food forward. Why then, do we sometimes condemn people who promote their products, services or ideas? Face it, leaders earn more money than followers. Eker goes on to say that most people who have difficulty with promoting themselves or their products either lack confidence in their product, don't understand their product, or lack confidence in themselves.

If you believe in something that you feel can assist others, then it's your duty to share it with as many people as possible. However, do not assume that everyone believes as you do. Those who need it or will benefit from it will be grateful and those who don't will most likely ignore you. That is ok.

Wealth File #9

Rich people are bigger than their problems. Poor people are smaller than their problems.

The road to wealth often has its obstacles. Rich people enjoy that challenge. Poor people fear it and find it too much of a hassle and don't want the responsibility. The trick is to get comfortable with challenges. Learn to enjoy finding solutions and ways around them. Be creative.

Rich people are solution-oriented, spending their time planning and preventing the same problem from happening again. Poor people are problem-oriented, spending their time complaining and worrying and hoping someone else fixes their problems or their problems fix themselves.

Wealth File #10

Rich people are excellent receivers. Poor people are poor receivers.

T. Harv Eker actually says if he had to name one reason that most do not reach their full financial potential it would be because poor people are poor receivers.

After all I have read, I found this one statement to be rather eye-opening. Out of all of the reasons, Eker thought this one was the biggest reason people fail. I guess I found that a little shocking really.

Even though many have difficulty receiving due to a low self image and feelings of unworthiness, Eker still maintains that you can become wealthy in spite of this. Worthiness is not a truth, worthiness is a perspective. It's your perspective and you can change it.

Eker sums it up well:

If you say you'ere worthy, you are. If you say you're not worthy, you're not. Either way, you will live into your story.

What do you want your story to be?

Wealth File #11

Rich people choose to get paid based on results. Poor people choose to be paid based on time.

Rich people like risks, challenges, and ways to demonstrate their abilities. Poor people want no risks, guarantees, and the security of something steady and dependable. They don't want to have to prove anything other than the ability to put in the time.

Isn't it ironic that many hourly paid employees complain about not being paid what they're worth, yet wouldn't switch to commission based pay for fear of being able to make enough to survive?

It's going to be difficult, if not virtually impossible, to become wealthy on an hourly or salary-based position. Rich people either work for themselves or are in positions where their income is results-based.

I realize it's sometimes difficult to make that transition from hourly/salaried to entrepreneur or commission-based employment with the economy is tight and the mortgage payment is due, but you really owe it to yourself to start thinking about how you can make that transition if you want to work on wealth building.

Wealth File #12

Rich people think "both." Poor people think "either/or."

I think this one is probably the easiest for me to adher to since I've always been this way. I have never liked choosing between two things I want, I always want to find a way to have both. So this one comes very naturally to me. I really take a lot of pleasure in helping others with this concept. Friends and family often ask advice about how to choose between options and I often find they'd really prefer to have both and I help them brainstorm ideas to be able to do that.

Practice this. Think about all of the ways you might work things so that you can. Start thinking outside the box.

I love how T.Harv Eker puts it:

"Rich people believe "you can have your cake and eat it too." Middle-class people believe "cake is too rich, so I'll only have a little piece." Poor people don't believe they deserve cake, so they order a doughnut, focus on the hole, and wonder why they have 'nothing'."

Wealth File #13

Rich people focus on their net worth. Poor people focus on their working income.

I'm guilty of this as much as anyone. Why do we always look at the balance in our checking and savings account as a measure of our worth? There is so much more to our worth or value than that. Every time you make a house payment your equity in that home is increasing and your debt is decreasing. Every time you make a car payment your debt is decreasing. If you have investments or retirement accounts they are probably increasing, albeit not like we'd like, but they are still increasing over time.

Even a recent college grad as worth not yet converted to cash. Think about all of that knowledge stored in your brain waiting to be put to good use.

Wealth File #14

Rich people manage their money well. Poor people mismanage their money well.

Get good at managing your money. Keep track of it. Know what your expenses are, know when they are due. Just be knowledgeable about your money. This is an important skill to have and will become more important the more money you have. Many mistakenly think that rich people just put their money in an account and start writing checks. No, they carefully plan where their money should be and how it can work for them.

One of the techniques that T.Harv Eker mentions is creating a "Financial Freedom jar". You get in the habit of depositing money into it every day. Somedays you may only drop a penny in it. Other days you may drop $10 in it. The amount isn't important, the habit is. This simple act is a daily reminder that you want to be financially free. Putting this money away will become second nature to you.

Wealth File #15

Rich people have their money work hard for them. Poor people work hard for their money.

I like T. Harv Eker's definition of financial freedom:

"The ability to live the lifestyle you desire without having to work or rely on anyone else for money".

That means you become financially free when your passive income exceeds your expenses.

Some examples of passive income are:

investment earnings such as stocks, bonds, T-bills, money markets, mutual funds or owning mortgages or other assets that appreciate in value that can be liquidated for cash

the ability to generate ongoing income from a business where you do not need to be personally involved for it to operate and yield income such as rental real estate, royalties from books, music, or software, licensing your ideas, becoming a franchisor, owning storage units, owning vending or coin-operated machines, and network marketing

any other business you can devise that you will run without you but you draw earnings from

For most of us, generating passive income is probably not something that comes natural to us. Most people are work-oriented when it comes to generating income. It's the way it's been since we were kids. If we wanted something, we had to work to earn it.

Rich people buy assets that go up in value. Poor people buy expenses and things that go down in value. Rich people collect land, poor people collect bills.

Wealth File #16

Rich people act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear stop them.

It is not necessary to eliminate fear, but to learn to accept it as part of the process. Do not let fear stop you from doing something. Being uncomfortable means you are in a situation that will cause you to grow and learn. Push forward and become more than you already are.

Have you ever stopped to notice how similar fear and excitement are? I taught this to my kids when I first took them on a large rollercoaster. Get familiar with that tingle in your stomach that you now call fear. Tell yourself it's excitement. It'll often give you the courage you need.

Wealth File #17

Rich people constantly learn and grow. Poor people think they already know.

This one quote inspires me so much:

"Becoming rich isn't as much about getting rich financially as about whom you have to become, in character and mind, to get rich."

The more you work on you the more you'll learn that will assist you in becoming the you that you want to be.

Now What?

So, tell me, what are you going to do with this information? Are you ready to change your life and improve your financial situation? Or will you go on to the next hub and forget what you read? I'd be interested to know if anything I shared with you has made a difference in your life. If you do nothing else, please try to stop complaining. Stop complaining about money, about your job, about your relationships, about your kids, about your family. Give yourself 7 days off from complaining. See what happens.

Comments

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Author

Karen Curtis 7 years agofrom Central Texas

Glad I could help remind you of the power you hold to create the life you want, Chimezie Chibuzor!

CHIMEZIE CHIBUZOR 7 years ago

This type of article always remind me that l am not created to live poor but rich. Thanks a million for adding another meaning to my life. l am now gingered today to get to the top again. It has thought me to aspire higher always. Even when l fall, l should look face up. From: Chimezie T. Chibuzor - Nigeria

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Happy New Year to you, too Gavin! May 2010 be your best ever!

Greenheart 8 years agofrom Cambridge

Thanks for this hub.

Mr Eker has helped me through his book,"Secrets..."

Happy new year.

Gavin

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Thanks Richard. I really believe that the things that we see as "bad experiences" are really the nudges we need to give us that determination to go after what we really want. I'm glad you've found your way down that path.

Richard Bivins 8 years agofrom Charleston, SC

Great review KCC. I started down this path only a couple years ago pretty much without any guidance at all. I just knew I was tired of working for someone else and after being laid off 5 times in the past 10 years, enough was enough. So I went off on my own as a consultant and now I determine my worth. It's been one of the most rewarding, financially and mentally, things I have done in my life.

I know there is much more I could do so and this review was real guidance. Thank you.

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Thanks LRobbins. Yes, these T.Harv Eker's and my principles are very much in alignment with The Secret. Thanks for stopping by!

Laurel 8 years agofrom Germany

Great review, I'll have to pick it up. It sounds like some of the principles are similar to those in The Secret.

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

I couldn't agree more, Nolimits Nana! I wish I had known all of this in my youth as well. We most definitely create our own reality. Thanks for stopping by!

Nicolette Goff 8 years agofrom British Columbia

I haven't read Ecker's book yet, but definitely will after reading your summary. Great job.

There's so much information now available about this entire topic - where was it when I was growing up??

What's important to know, I believe, is that we create our own inner reality - what we believe is what we will see in our outer lives.

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Awesome! I bet you'll be rich before you know it!

Dedicated Content Curator 8 years agofrom United Kingdom

I've just found/downloaded the book - and passed it onto my friend and just linked them through to your hub here too :)

Cheers

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Thanks, Earner. I think that's probably the biggest thing holding most of us back...being too afraid to take a risk.

Dedicated Content Curator 8 years agofrom United Kingdom

It is strange I stumbled across this hub of yours this morning (I googled it from where you mentioned it elsewhere) because I was having a discussion with a (rich) friend last night about this. He is rich, I am not. I want to create more of an income for myself, that is more stable, which is how I came to be at Hubpages (building another residual income).

He said many of the things you listed above - he has a completely different mindset.

I don't take risks because I don't want to lose what I have. He told me to go out there and risk, risk, risk. I am scared of risking and ending up with less than I have now (or nothing), because it's too late/hard/whatever to start again at this stage, bearing in mind it's taken me a lifetime to get to this point.

Right now, I could eke out an OK living for the rest of my days, but I'd like to attain the equivalent of "the average wage for my country" over those years, guaranteed pretty much from residual income.

So I guess I'll continue muddling along because I just daren't take that risk!

A great hub.

Thanks KCC

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Thank you, Diet and Google Bizkit.

google bizkit 8 years ago

ya nice article of rich people mind

diet 8 years ago

you have given good information of rich people

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Thank you so much Marion. :) That means a lot.

Marion Grobb Finkelstein 8 years ago

PS: KCC, just for the record -- you ARE a writer, published or not. You write beautifully. Thanks for sharing your gift.

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Thank you Marion. I agree. I think if most really analyzed why they don't have the amount of money they want it's because they have some sort of hangup about people who do have money and/or have some sort of pride thing with being poor. It's all about choice.

Marion Grobb Finkelstein 8 years ago

Loved this article! There seems to be a perception amongst some that being poor is more noble than being wealthy. Piffle! One of my nieces was working at a dump bar on East Hastings St. in Vancouver (cocaine alley), and when she recounted tales of her druggie friends, prostitute bar clients, and the dirt poor people she was associating with, she wore it like a badge. Then I mentioned to her one day that people with money were not innately bad... just like those without were not automatically noble and pure. I challenged her with the thought that she was biased against people with money, and by extension, she was not attracting money to herself (she's in debt up to her ears). We're all just people, some good, some bad, some rich, some not. So yes, we all do have perceptions of values associated with "rich" and "poor" -- and they may not be accurate.

Money is great for what money can do -- and it can help people, should we choose. It's all about choice and taking responsibility. Everyone can get something out of this article (and book). Thanks for sharing.

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Thanks Rebecca, it is a great book. I always have to go back and re-read all my books, because what may not have struck a chord with me the first time, might this time.

Rebecca E. 8 years agofrom Canada

I enjoyed this one great hub, I actually didn't know all that much about this particular book, though I've looked through it a couple of times.

Needs a better read.

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

I'm glad you enjoyed it, J. Kumm! I'm glad you got some useful ideas out of it. The right direction is all that matters!

J. Kumm 8 years agofrom Washington

Thanks for sharing this KCC. I've definitely thought poorly and middle classly before. I like the freedom jar and the idea to think about fear as excitement the most.

I am pretty proud to report that I work for results instead of time, so I'm headed in the right direction on at least one hand.

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Thanks TOF....I used to call myself a realist until I realized how reality is created. I then decided that a realist was nothing more than someone who decided how life was based on what they see before them and then they act accordingly. That's not necessarily the reality I want, nor how I chose to live my life. I have realized that I am in control.

The Old Firm 8 years agofrom Waikato/Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand

Hi KCC, It's been said that an optimist says that the bottle is half full, a pessimist that it is half empty , a cynic that the next bottle will cost more, and that cynic is a rude word for realist.

This leads to the next observation that Money Doesn't Buy Happiness, - but that it's a damned sight better to be rich and miserable than poor and miserable.

Thus this is a wise and helpful hub. Thanks Karen.

TOF

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

Thanks, Candie. I found them to be a good set of priciples, some made me think more than others, but I can see their significance. It all takes practice to 'undo' some of the baggage we gather along the way.

In the financial and emotional realms, most of these are spot on. It's perspective and focus..glass half full/half empty. Thanks K!

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

That's it exactly, Elena. We limit ourselves by our on belief systems. WE decide what can and can't be done and ultimately prove it to be true. Negative thinking (and posititve thinking) are self-fulfilling prophesies. Once you know and realize that, why would we ever continue to think negatively? (Yet, we do....it's hard habit to break sometimes). Thanks for stopping by!

Elena. 8 years agofrom Madrid

KCC, I'd say this is positive thinking taken to the financial universe. I think anyone who sees the bottle half full rather than half empty all the time has a lot better changes to live up to the bottle actually being half full. When one thinks negative, negative shyte happens because one actually brings it upon oneself. Instead, positive thinking tends to render positive outcomes. Kudos!

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

You're welcome, Tesa. I'm glad you found it inspirational and something useful. You're right, keeping open minded to other possibilities is a great way to see progress. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Tesa Adams 8 years agofrom Austin, Texas

Thank you. I think this is a very inspirational article and one that I will refer back to in the future just to check in and see if I am following the principles and if not, why not. Personally I think that we just need to change our limited thinking mindset and allow for other possibilites such as has been suggested by T Harv Eker especially "Rich people focus on opportunites".

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

I do agree Caymanhost that wealth can be measured in many ways....financial wealth is only one. Money doesn't fix everything but it can sure make some things a lot easier while you do fix them.

I think a big mistake some make is not realizing how close they are to a breakthrough or reaching some type of success (financial or otherwise) and giving up.

caymanhost 8 years agofrom Cayman Islands

I guess if you only measure a successful life using wealth as a yardstick this kind of thinking is important. I personally believe that financial wealth in and of itself falls far short of what many desire for a complete and satisfied existence.

However, lack of money is a huge problem in this world, so a determination to make more is hardly a bad thing in and of itself either.

I don't agree with it all either, but there are some valid and useful pointers. I certainly agree that attitude and things like risk aversion have a great bearing on holding people back.

Author

Karen Curtis 8 years agofrom Central Texas

That's cool, Ethel....thanks for stopping by!

Eileen Kersey 8 years agofrom Kingston-Upon-Hull

I don't agree with all of that but there is some very useful information in this hub

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